


Royal Dilemma

by LeeMorrigan



Category: Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement RPF, The Princess Diaries - All Media Types
Genre: 13 and a half years after her coronation, F/M, Gen, Joe is a proud grandpa, Joe is an awesome grandpa, Mia worries, Nicholas is a great daddy, Nicholas takes care of the little princess, Parliament butts in, parent-child, puppy, sick day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 03:26:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13515666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeMorrigan/pseuds/LeeMorrigan
Summary: Queen Mia is off in Paris for a meeting when her 7yr old daughter gets sick, so Nicholas takes care of their little princess while Mia is off slaying political dragons. Parliament is pressuring Mia & Nick to have another child, Mia is reluctant to split her attention, Nicholas is an adoring dad, and Joe has some advice for Mia. Loads of cuteness between Nicholas and Mia Jr., references to movies 1&2, references Lilly and other characters, and takes place during a fictional third PRINCESS DIARIES movie.





	Royal Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Prince Nicholas, Queen Mia, or any other characters created by Meg C./Disney, only Slinky, Jocelynn, and other original characters and I am merely playing in Disney's sandbox.  
> Mia, Nicholas, Joe, and Charlotte are the only movie-verse characters who actually appear, the others are just mentioned/quoted. This was actually written a few years ago and I just edited it to post it now. I noticed there wasn't nearly enough PRINCESS DIARIES fanfiction out there and thought I could add mine to the collection.  
> I have never cared for a sick child or been much-involved in politics, so I apologize for any inaccuracies. This takes place approximately 3-4 months before the 14th anniversary of Mia's becoming Queen, when she and Nicholas have been married about 11.5 years, making them about 35yrs old.  
> Thank you for reading! Please enjoy!

Queen Amelia Thermopolis Renaldi sat at the head of the table, making sure to keep her face pleasantly neutral, her posture regal, and resisting the urge to shout for these people to shut up. Once more, the French ambassador Emil, and his wife Olivia, as well as Senators Hans, Klaus, Irena, and Esperanza, as well as their respective partners, were all stuck on the subject of Green Energy. A topic they had beaten to death, with no sign of making any impact on Hans or Emil. Both were convinced it was too expensive and not worth the returns for the current crop of voters. Both also enjoyed making digs about how Mia had no need to worry about popularity and voters.

Once Emil had finished his latest tirade, Mia turned her attention clearly to Irena and Irena’s husband, Marcelo. Marcelo was a professional activist, which had caused some headaches for Irena, however his similarities to Lily made it easy for Mia to engage him.

“Marcelo, what do you think of the cost-ratio, Senator Hans is referring to?”

Marcelo barked out an indignant laugh. Irena smiled, barely hiding it behind her glass. This was supposed to be a dinner party, however they all knew it was really just a fancy jousting match.

“I think it is madness to think we may run through our resources as we do, and believe there will be a bountiful world for our children’s children to inherit. They shall reap what we sew, and now we sew only ruin for them.”

He pointed to Mia and Klaus.

“Their plan would make our world a bit more stable for the future generations to have. And if we were all to adopt such measures, we might even rest at night knowing our great-great grandchildren will not curse us.”

Hans rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his feelings on the matter. Before Mia could say any more, Charlotte appeared in her peripheral, standing by one of the doors. She waved to Mia subtly, though her eyes were clearly worried. Mia knew that look. It was not WWIII impending, nor was it a matter of paperwork that needed a signature before midnight. That was the look she had when something was wrong at home or when some gossip story about Mia was likely to have some nasty repercussions in the meeting Mia was heading for.

Excusing herself, Mia moved to the doorway where Charlotte was. The dinner meeting was being held in a private third story dining room, in Paris. However, the bathrooms were a long trip from the room, meaning no one would thinking a thing of Mia’s being gone several minutes while she was straightening something out with her best aid.

“What’s wrong?”, she asked as soon as she knew Charlotte would hear the whispered questioned.

Charlotte checked to make sure they were not overheard before she answered.

“I have been informed that Lord Devereaux called for the family physician and that the Princess did not attend her lessons this morning. Do you want me to call the Prince and ask about this, or do you wish to do so yourself?”

Mia considered it for a moment.

“I’ll text him, in case Jocey is asleep.”

Mia pulled her phone from her pocket, the clever jacket hiding a panic button, a GPS tracker, her cell phone, a second panic button, and a small nail file. The nail file had been an old trick of Clarisse’s, to ensure the nails were perfect and to allow some subtle protection if one was in a tight spot. Mia sometimes wanted to know if Clarisse had gotten that from a romance novel, but one did not argue with the wisdom of the Queen.

“Nick- is everything ok? How is Jocey? R U sick?”, she fired off. She did not have to wait long for a response, as her phone almost instantly vibrated. It was a heart emoji. She waited, knowing he needed time to type. Nick was terrible at using his phone’s touchscreen and he often lamented not being able to carry some old blackberry or the like.

“Jocey was sick. Called Dr.Chelsea. A nasty cold. Don’t worry. Currently having a lazy day in/sick day, with cartoons, golden books, Slinky, and PJs in mommy and daddy’s rooms.”

Mia smiled. Sometimes she wished she could be a normal parent, and just stay home with her daughter when the little girl was sick. Make her chicken noodle soup out of a can, the way her own mom had, and watch cheesy 80s flicks all day. However, being Queen and being a Mom sometimes required her to be torn in two.

“Ok. Will check on u 2 when I get back 2 hotel. Love u.”, she responded quickly.

“Ditto.”

She almost snorted. He would never let her live that movie down. Looking up, she saw Charlotte still looked worried.

“Jocey has a cold, it seems, so Nick gave her the day off from Princess Lessons and they are having a lazy day in.”

Charlotte smiled so warmly you would think her to be discussing her own niece. Then again, Charlotte had changed a few of Jocelynn’s diapers, had helped carry her things, had given a couple Princess Lessons, and had been there since the little Princess’s birth.

“He’s a good dad.”, Charlotte answered.

“Yes, he is. The best.”

Charlotte’s eyes moved over Mia’s shoulder, a small wrinkle appearing between her eyebrows as she sighed.

“It seems you’re missed.”

Mia looked over her shoulder to see that Senator Hans and Senator Irena had sent their aids to check on Mia’s whereabouts. With a sigh, she looked back at Charlotte.

“Guess I gotta go Queen now.”

Charlotte barely held back a grin.

“Yes ma’am.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

By the time Jocey had gotten back to sleep, Nicholas was sure he was going to need a nap himself. He didn’t recall being this demanding and energetic as a child, whenever he had gotten sick. However, his situation had been different. He had governesses, tutors, aids, maids, butlers, and nurses, his uncle usually a long-distance phone call away to bark orders at them. As such, he surmised he had been quieter and less demanding, as he knew those around him were paid to tend to his needs, and as such could quit at any time and did not actually love him unconditionally. When he and Mia first learned they were expecting, Nicholas had sworn to himself that any children he and Mia had, would never feel as alone as he had growing up.

He glanced over, looking at his precious little princess. She had her mom’s beautiful, wide smile- currently missing two teeth in the bottom-front, and she had Mia’s warm, chocolate eyes. The gravity-defying hair and eyebrow shape however, she had gotten from Nicholas. She was their pride and joy, as well as the royal heir of the Genovian throne.

Nicholas and Mia hadn’t married right after her coronation, but instead waited two years. Mia wanted to prove she could do it on her own and Nicholas wanted a chance to start over, getting to properly court Mia without interfering uncles or schemes for a crown. And, nearly three-and-a-half years after their wedding, the learned they were expecting. It had not been easy for Mia, who worried about everything. She worried that all her traveling might get her sick with some exotic germs, she worried that her schedule mightn’t let her sleep as much as she needed to, she worried her tendency to forget meals and live off coffee would make the baby sick, she worried that she would be a terrible mother, she worried about the tabloids following her, she worried about being able to spend time with the new baby, and she worried her worrying would cause some impact on the baby’s brain to give the child permanent anxiety and panic attacks.

Then, one snowy evening, Mia had given birth at the local hospital. She was overdue and worrying the doctors a little, not to mention Clarisse, Joe, Charlotte, her mother, her stepfather, and Nicholas. Jocelynn Rose Devereaux Renaldi was named for Joe and Nicholas’s late mother’s middle name, as he did not think Jocelynn Jacqueline sounded very nice. Perhaps if they had another daughter, she could have his mother’s first name as her middle name.

Parliament was pressing upon them to provide another heir, as they were wary of any more abdications, untimely demises, and other succession issues. Politically, Nicholas could understand their point. Mia was the American daughter of a second-son, who died before he could properly assume the throne or provide a more ‘suitable’ heir, after Genovia had spent years under the rule of a foreign-born Queen-by-marriage. As Mia’s husband, however, Nicholas was rather grouchy about it. It ought to be he and Mia’s decision and no one else’s business if Jocey was the only or their eldest. It ought not be a matter of political intrigue, gossip magazines, and the wagging tongues of the idle court members.

“Daddy?”

He looked over at his little princess, her nose red and puffy, her eyes a bit bleary, and her cheeks still rosey from a low-grade fever. She was curled up on a couple pillows, in her rocket ship PJs, with her dog Slinky curled up behind her. Slinky was a rescued mutt Joe brought for Jocey’s 5th birthday.

“Yes, Princess?”

“My head hurts.”

He reached over, placing a hand over her forehead to check the fever. It was higher than he would like. He then checked the time. She was about due for another dose of Tylinol and some juice.

“Come on, let’s get you something to make you feel better and maybe some apple juice.”

She scrunched up her face.

“What?”

“Do I have to drink that surp?”

“Syrup.”, he corrected. “And no, you don’t. Unless you start coughing badly.”

She shook her head, her nose beginning to run. Nicholas handed her a Kleenex, and brought over the small waste basket for her to throw it away once she finished.

“Come on?”, he offered his arms out to her for her to let him carry her. She did not have to be asked twice. Moving to rest her sweaty little cheek against his shoulder and her long legs around his hip, Nicholas encircled her gently in his arms, then stood carefully. Slinky, having been carefully watching his girl, got to his feet and came to stand next to Nicholas’s leg.

“Good boy. Let’s go to the kitchen.”

Slinky walked quietly beside Nicholas, as they headed out and down for the kitchens. Being that he was taking a day off to tend Jocey, Nicholas was also in his PJs. Although his consisted of an old Tshirt and a pair of faded cotton drawstring pants. Being that they had been a gift from Mia, they had ‘Prince Charming’ stitched across the top band, but his T-shirt concealed it well.

“Do you want a snack with your apple juice?”

“What can I have?”

He smiled a little. She sounded so much like Mia when Mia was under the weather. She had been blessedly unaffected by most normal pregnancy maladies, however she had suffered from nasty sinus infections at least once a year since he had known her. As such, Nicholas a lot of practice in making sure she drank plenty, ate healthy even when not-hungry, got naps, and took her meds on time.

“Well, you could have peanut butter crackers, a banana, sliced apples, grapes, or maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

She sniffled a little against his shirt, then let out a small sigh. She was clearly stuffed up enough to have cut off her ability to breathe through her nose.

“Can I have a banana and peanut butter bread?”

He smiled. Lily made them sliced apples and bananas with peanut butter bread, when she last came to visit. It was now one of Jocey’s favorite snacks.

“Sure. Is Slinky getting any bananas this time?”

Jocey smiled.

“Mommy says I should always share.”

“Sharing is a very good thing. We’ll have to make sure Slinky gets some fruit too.”

They reached the kitchen a few minutes later, and Nicholas put Jocelynn down in the chair that usually held he or Mia during a midnight snack run, with Slinky dutifully sitting between her and the door. Nicholas tended to Jocelynn’s medicine first and getting her to drink some juice, before he began making sandwiches and slicing some fruit and dousing it in lemon-water to keep it from turning brown before they got back upstairs.

Once the snacks were prepared, Nicholas took Jocelynn’s hand, held a tray with food in the other, and called Slinky by name to bring the dog to attention. Then they headed back upstairs. He had to go slow, on account of how small and how tired Jocelynn was. She was tall for seven, however she was still a great deal shorter in the leg than he was.

Back in the room, Nicholas set up their little buffet in the middle of the pillow and blanket fort he had set up in he and Mia’s sitting room. That had been another nice thing about having Jocelynn, Nicholas was able to enjoy all the normal childhood things with her, that his own upbringing had lacked. He wanted Jocelynn to enjoy her childhood as much as possible, rather than getting over it.

Jocelynn tucked herself against him, making him sweat a bit as his shirt and her curls stuck to his arm and side, but he never uttered a word about it. If it made her even a little bit more comfortable, it was well-worth a little discomfort on his part. Slinky added to the dog-pile, laying his fuzzy head on Jocelynn’s lap.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“When is Mommy coming home?”

“The day after tomorrow, sweetie. Here, have some peanut butter bread.”

She took the offered food and began nibbling. He didn’t miss that Slinky got a piece, or how the dog worked at the bit that must have stuck to the roof of his mouth. Due to Nicholas’s insistence on the food he served to Jocelynn being natural, unprocessed, and locally-grown, he did not have to worry about poisoning the dog with artificial sweetener in the peanut butter. He did worry about letting the dog eat Mia’s cereal, since she preferred the sugary stuff she grew up on back in the States. Granted, he was sure he had gone into some kind of sugar-induced coma the last time he stayed up with her, eating the stuff. And he pretended not to notice when she and Jocelynn ate it on mommy/daughter days.

“Can we take another sick day when she comes home?”

“Well, I hope you aren’t sick by then, but maybe we can just take a regular day off. But you will have to ask Mommy and Aunty Charlotte.”

She nodded, chewing another bite of her peanut butter bread. He did not want to commit Mia without knowing her schedule. Or disappoint Jocelynn.

“I miss Mommy.”

He nodded.

“Me too.”

Then she gripped his lower arm tightly, almost enough to hurt as she looked up at him, eyes wide.

“I love you, too!”

He smiled down at his little girl, reaching to ruffle her hair a little.

“I didn’t doubt it, Princess. So, what now? Another Disney movie? Maybe we could watch ROBIN HOOD or BRAVE?”

She shook her head.

“Grandpa Joe’s book.”

Nicholas smiled. He should have known. Joe had gotten Jocelynn a book about a dog going on an adventure, gaining some animal friend on every other page, until they arrived back at the dog’s little girl’s home in the end to have a large party in the back yard. It was Jocelynn’s new-favorite book. And as such, it was seemingly always close at hand.

“Once upon a time, in a beautiful, green yard, there was a little girl named Jamie and her loyal dog, Max.”, he began as he reached for the book on the nearby coffee table, earning a small laugh.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mia sat across from Joe, in a little café where her guards, Charlotte, and another newer aid were all far enough away to give the illusion of privacy. No one appeared to know who Mia was, and she could almost believe she was Mia Thermopolis, nerd from the local high school, having lunch with Lilly after school. She missed being that girl sometimes. Joe nudged her gently with his pinky against her wrist.

“What’s going on in there, Princess?”

She smiled, missing the old nickname. One that Nicholas seemed to have adopted, when speaking to Jocelynn.

“Too much, Joe.”

“Would it help if you called me Joey?”

She grinned up at him.

“No. Joe.”

He smiled back, every bit the kind, wise grandfather Mia had always wanted. She was pretty sure she had even wished for one over her 5th or 6th birthday cake. Or perhaps it had been over a wishbone?

“Anything in particular?”

“Parliament, this Green Energy deal, Jocey being sick, Grandma’s trip to London?”

He looked concerned.

“Jocey’s sick? Another cold, or is she getting one of your infamous sinus infections?”

“Another cold, worse than the last one though. Although, she’s gotten fewer this year than she did last year, and she’s still doing way better than Trevor. Granted, Trevor’s dad is a teacher, so he drags home all sorts of germs.”

Joe nodded.

“I’ll have to send her a postcard when I get back to the hotel. She seems to like them.”

Mia snorted.

“Are you kidding? Joe, she had a special box just for Grandpa Joe Postcards.”

That seemed to make him sit a little prouder in his seat, and Mia swore someone was going to need to double-stitch his shirt buttons if he puffed up any more. Jocelynn’s adoration had that effect. After a moment, Joe’s expression grew more serious.

“What is Parliament’s issue now? Taxes not high enough?”

She shook her head.

“No. They want Nicholas to get me pregnant again. Like yesterday.”

Joe let out a breath. On one hand, he was still a bit uncomfortable thinking of Mia sharing a bed and being a grown, married woman. He still had a tendency to look at her and see the high school student he quoted Elenore Roosevelt to. On the other hand, he had been the bodyguard to the Queen for a very long time. He could see the reasoning behind their concerns.

Queen Clarisse had ruled for many years in her husband’s stead and then to hold the reins of the country until Mia was old enough to rule without a regent. And while Clarisse had been an excellent monarch, she had a tentative hold over a shaky situation, in the eyes of the Parliament. Her husband was the rightful King and died with two sons, the elder of which abdicated in favor of the Church while the younger had gone off to sew his wild oats in America, returning a married man with a baby on the way. Then, the heir apparent divorced his American commoner and was killed in a car accident before he could assume the throne, leaving them with a foreign-born regent and an American Princess.

“I suppose they are having visions of your uncle’s abdication, and worrying what they will do if Jocelynn should decide being a nun is her calling in life.”

Mia did chuckle at that. Somehow, she just could not picture her rambunctious, bright, sometimes naughty 7-year old ever joining her great-uncle in Holy Orders. Sometimes it was a crazy plot just to imagine Jocelynn being quiet and attentive through a whole Church service, without Nicholas having to resort to thumb-wrestling with Jocelynn to keep her quiet.

“I think running away to join the circus is far more likely.”

“Assuming they still have them, by then.”

Mia nodded. Joe studied her. She almost squirmed under his gaze, even after all these years.

“What?”

“What do you think of giving Jocey a little brother or sister?”

Mia shrugged, looking down into her mug.

“Has Young Nicholas said anything about it?”

Mia let out a sigh.

“He mostly just growls that Parliament ought to mind their own business and keep their noses out of our bedroom. I think he’s afraid to say either way, for fear of starting a fight with me, guilting me, or pressuring me.”

Joe nodded, glancing at the passers-by before returning to look at Mia.

“Are you not-having another child because you truly do not wish to expand upon your family, or because Parliament is pressuring you?”

Mia took a long, slow breath. A trick Joe recognized from years of watching Clarisse do the same when she wished to buy herself a few seconds. Mia had learned well, and done them both proud.

“I don’t really know. I guess I haven’t taken a sec to think about it, aside from being annoyed at them poking their noses into my reproduction and thinking how little time I get to spend with Jocey as it is, let alone having to take care of the lessons and everything for two royal kids.”

“Perhaps it would help, to think about how you would feel if there were no Parliament, no Queen Amelia Renaldi, no Genovia, no Prince Nicholas Devereaux, and no tabloid types following you. Imagine, for a moment, that you are simply Mia Thermopolis, living in San-Fran with your chef husband Nick, down the street from your mother’s fire station home, and coming home to your bright 7yr old, her puppy, and your large, tubby cat.”

She smiled a wistful smile that was painfully reminiscent of Clarisse when she was torn between fond memories and the pain that came after them. Usually they hit when she thought about her younger son or the years she missed of Mia’s childhood.

“That sounds remarkably like my little fantasy I drop into sometimes, when Nick and I have a rare day off, and we scoop up Jocey to walk around incognito or stay in with ice cream for breakfast. Or, when we get to visit Mom, and people don’t recognize us the way they do back here.”

Joe offered a small smile, letting Mia have the space to sort out her thoughts and concerns. This needed to be her decision and he did not wish to influence her one way or the other. He truly believed if she wanted it, she would be an excellent mother-of-two, however he recognized the genuine issues of taking care of a kingdom, husband, and two children.

“I never really thought about it, before Grandma showed up and informed me I was a Princess of some European country I had never heard of. Then it was made clear, by every tutor, adviser, and Grandma, that heirs were _expected_. So after that, I knew there would need to be children.”

Joe leaned forward, seeing she had gotten off-track.

“Mia, wife and mother, in San Francisco, does she want one, two, three, or four kids? Does she think one makes a perfect family of three? Or does she think perhaps a perfect family is mom and dad plus two little ones? You’re thinking like a Queen again, not like a mom.”

The smile she shot him was reassuring. She had gotten the point and was back on track. He might not be a royal bodyguard anymore though it was nice to see he hadn’t completely lost his touch.

“I’ll have to think on it.”

Joe’s smile broadened over the rim of his mug.

“Good girl.”

“How are you enjoying your trip to Paris?”

He let out a long breath, looking around. Paris had changed a lot since the last time he had been there, while not working as a protector to the crown. Tourists used to enjoy it with large, heavy cameras and bright white sun cream lotion on their noses, locals with the nonchalant attitude only a native Parisian could manage. Now both constantly took pictures of themselves, with so-called smart phones, in order to post them to some social media platform in an effort to get more Likes than their friends.

“It is a different Paris than the one I remember from when I was your age, however I find that some things never change. The food is rich, the wine smooth, and the music mournful.”

She smiled so much like Clarisse when she was resisting teasing him about how old or how grumpy he sounded. Paris, despite all his distaste over people missing the beauty for the smartphones, was still the city of lovers. And he was there without his.

“Have you and Nicholas been, since you got married?”

She shook her head.

“We’ve hardly been anywhere romantic, without Charlotte, Shades, a host of bodyguards, AND Jocey.”

“Well, perhaps after you’ve been reassured she is well and you’ve had a few days or a couple weeks to catch up, you should kidnap your Prince and take him somewhere for a long weekend. Preferably a Monday through Thursday, you will be less likely to run into anyone who recognizes you or who is out trolling for the National Inquirer.”

“Not a bad idea. I’ll have to run it by Nick and see when he can get away. Charlotte did tell me that she would be happy to help us escape at least once a year, outside of Christmas.”

That gave Joe an idea.

“Have her come visit, with Jocey. Clarisse will be gone at least another week or so, however she should be back by the time you and Nicholas get this sorted out. We can spoil Jocey, Clarisse and Charlotte can visit while I teach Jocey to fish, and you’ll have a few days with your husband, no country or daughter to worry too much about. I’m sure your favorite Prime Minister wouldn’t mind tending to a few meetings in your stead.”

Mia loved Joe, he always knew how to make things work as if they weren’t moving mountains and rerouting rivers, to borrow Clarisse’s expression for how hard it was to teach Mia the art of a tea spoon. She sometimes still couldn’t believe the tea spoon was used to express one’s self even more so than the fan.

“Joe, have I mentioned lately that you’re a mad genius?”

The older man smiled, still looking every bit a dangerous man of mystery in his solid black attire from the stealthily silent shoes to the perfectly tailored leather jacket.

“No, however I am hardly in a position to argue with a Queen.”

Mia snorted, and Joe chuckled with her, eliciting them a few looks from the patrons at nearby tables.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicholas had spent all day yesterday taking care of Jocey, only for her fever to return with a vengeance on morning two. After making sure she had gotten her medicine in, along with a glass of water and then another of juice, they retired to he and mommy’s sitting room again. Thankfully, Mia’s maids had been good sports and left the blanket fort in place, just in case the little princess was not yet up to her lessons and would need another day off with daddy.

However, this had meant that Nicholas had gotten no real work done the day before, and was now catching up via his laptop while Jocey snored a little, propped on a couple pillows to his right. As usual, Slinky was resting with his little fuzzy head on Jocey’s elbow, making sure she was alright, and fussing if she got snottier or if she rasped in her throat.

Just as Nicholas was about to read a report from Genovia’s council on Education and Juvenile Justice, he saw he had a new Email. It was from Mia. Opening it, he read the quick message. Her meetings were going according to schedule, she had enjoyed brunch with Joe that morning, Charlotte had updated her on Jocey, Slinky deserved an extra treat for being such a good assistant nurse, and she wanted to treat Nicholas with a trip to Paris for a long weekend soon. Smiling, he pulled out his phone. He figured at best, they could speak for a couple minutes and at worst, he could leave her a voicemail. She picked up on the second ring.

“Hey handsome. How’s Jocey?”

“Snoring, but her fever has gone down, so I can stop panicking now. So can you.”

“What makes you think I had panicked?”

“11 years of marriage.”

“Ah, that. Yeah, guess that does give you an insight.”

“Or two. How’s Joe?”

“He’s Joe. He wants to kidnap Charlotte and Jocey while we have our grown-up time. He’s gonna teach her to fish while Clarisse and Charlotte catch up.”

“Joe is my favorite person, besides you and Jocey.”

“Aside from you, he’s my favorite man in the world.”

Nicholas heard noise in the background, on Mia’s end. Then a muffled sound like her putting her hand over the receiver as she spoke to Charlotte or someone else.

“Sorry, I have to go. I have a meeting with Portigal.”

“If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that one.”

“Ha-ha. Take care of our girl, and don’t get sick.”

“I will.”

“I’m jealous, you know.”

“I woke up to a snotty nose and a wet one.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“Is it working?”, he asked.

“A little. Okay, I really do have to run. I love you.”

“Ditto, now go kick butt.”

He heard her chuckle before she hung up, and he went back to his report. It wouldn’t read itself, unfortunately. And the response was a bit overdue as things currently stood.

An hour later, Nicholas was just finishing the return Email when he felt the stirring of his favorite little girl. He turned to see her blinking her eyes as Slinky moved to lick her face.

“I’m gonna give you germs, Slinky.”

“Slinky can’t get sick-girl germs, just like you can’t get puppy-germs.”

She looked up, skeptical.

“Are you sure?”

“Yup, they told me at Dad School. Right after teaching me the 3-second rule.”

She giggled at him, almost like he had tickled her. Then he noticed her nose was running again and she still looked tired.

“I think it’s time for another dose, then we can have some apples and one of the muffins daddy made last night.”

That got her eyes to light up. Just like Mia, she loved his cooking and his baking as if they were particularly special treats and not something anyone with access to Betty Crocker cookbooks, might be able to make. He scooped her up, carrying her down to the kitchen, with Slinky in tow.

Mia and Charlotte both teased him about spoiling Jocey, carrying her all the time. However, Nicholas just kept thinking about how fast she grew. He remembered when her whole body, plus a toy, and all her blankets, fit into his one arm. Then the day he realized he had to have both hands to hold her as she slept in his arms. He was all too aware that someday far too soon, she would become too big for him to pick her up, let alone carry her to the kitchen for a treat.

After meds and a snack, they headed back up to the royal bedchambers. He knew it was past Jocelynn’s bedtime and Mia would be calling back soon to check in with him, and he wanted Jocelynn to be in bed in time to get a goodnight from mommy before she fell asleep. Sure enough, he barely had Jocelynn in a fresh pair of PJs before his phone rang with Mia’s ringtone.

“Hello, Renaldi’s Pizza, how do you want it?”

That got him a giggle from Jocey and a fake-growl from Mia. Slinky just looked confused, since he heard the word ‘pizza’ yet could not smell any.

“Ha-ha, you’re a real comodian. Where’s my daughter?”

He handed the phone to Jocelynn.

“Here’s mommy.”

His little girl lit up as she held the phone, her nasally voice greeting Mia.

“Hi, Mommy! When are you coming home?”

“Tomorrow, munchkin. I’ll be home in time to tuck you in, and then in the morning, we can have breakfast together. Just you and me. How’s that sound?”

“Why can’t Daddy have breakfast too?”

“He has a meeting early that morning, but I promise, I’ll get him to leave a kiss for you.”

“Okay.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“A little.”

Nicholas worked to tuck her in as she talked to Mia, then patted the spot Slinky liked sleeping in when Jocey was sick, rather than gesturing for the dog to sleep in his fake-fort bed Mia had gotten for him.

“Well, Mommy will have to come scare the germs away if they haven’t left when she gets home.”

“Okay. How was Grandpa Joe? Is he okay without Gramma?”

“Yes, he’s been doing a little shopping to surprise her. He’s also planning what you two are going to do the next time you see him.”

Jocey perked up a little, showing off her gap-toothed smile.

“Well munchkin, it’s time for you to get to sleep. This is the last sleep before I come home.”

“I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, munchkin. Now go to sleep. Goodnight, sweet dreams, sleep tight, and I hope you feel all better in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Mommy.”

She handed the phone back to Nicholas.

“Call you back after my shower?”, she asked.

“Yup. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Mia hung up as Nicholas slid his phone onto the bedside table, his butt still sitting beside Jocey. She looked up at him, seeming a bit sad. She always was when Mia wasn’t there to help him tuck her in.

“Alright, Princess. Time for lights-out.”

“What about my story?”

He looked at those big brown eyes and was a goner. There was no use. Mia and Clarisse were the heavies. He and Joe were the soft-touches when it came to the littlest Princess.

“Alright, which story? I think I’ve read you all the ones you have, but we could try a second go at one. How about Bernstein Bears?”

“No.”

“No? What’d the bears do? Okay, how about Curious George?”

“No.”

“Which story do you want?”, he asked, already sure he knew which one she would ask for. It was her favorite, after all.

“How you and Mommy met.”

He sighed, moving to get comfortable.

“Alright, but then you have to go to sleep.”

She nodded, and Nicholas pulled the covers more snugly around her shoulders. He was aware that Mia and Clarisse had each told her this story before, and just as neither Queens’ version matched the other, he was sure his differed somewhat from them both. Settling in, he began the tale.

"Once upon a time, in a magical land known as Genovia, there was a beautiful, kind princess named Mia. The whole kingdom had gathered for a glittering assembly to celebrate the Princess Mia's 21st birthday. And Princess Mia was getting tired at her party, because every unmarried man in the Kingdom was permitted to ask her for a dance that night, and she had to dance with them. She had danced with a good number of men, many of whom were terrible dancers."

Jocey giggled as he imitated some bad dancing, swinging his arms and acting almost boneless as he made faces.

“That was really bad, Daddy.”

He nodded.

"Some did not speak English and did not understand Princess Mia when she spoke to them, some compared her to critters, and others had no idea how to dance without shaking her like a ragdoll. And because she was so tired from all the dancing, when she was walking with a friend, she did not see a handsome Prince walking her way, and she stepped on his foot."

Jocey laughed with a little snort, causing her to cough a little, since she was so congested. Once he had given her a once-over to make sure she was all right, he continued the story.

"The Princess Mia was so sorry and began to apologize, embarrassed she had stepped on the Handsome Prince's foot. Then when he tried to tell Princess Mia that he was to blame, as he could not bear to see her looking so upset, she tried to joke. The Handsome Princes was struck by how nice and how pretty the Princess was, with her big brown eyes and wide smile."

He smiled down at Jocelyn, seeing how she beamed at seeing how in love her daddy clearly was with her mommy, as well as the mention of traits she knew were from her mommy. She was a mirror of her mom as she had Mia's eyes and that wide smile.

"Because his foot was hurt and she had been talking to her friend, the Handsome Prince made his excuses and let her walk away with her friend as he went somewhere to rest his sore foot. A few minutes later, however, he found himself wanting to step on his uninjured foot because of how stupid he had been to let her walk away. But as luck would have it, across the room, he spotted her dancing with another man. The man was making the Princess Mia very uncomfortable with his dancing and so the Handsome Prince took it as a chance to rescue a Princess."

Leaning a little closer, he added somewhat conspiratorially, "It is not every day you get to rescue a Princess."

Jocey smiled, hugging her stuffed bunny, all dreamy-eyed at the story. Nicholas continued.

"The Handsome Prince cut in and asked the Princess Mia if she would dance with him. Now the Handsome Prince had taken many, many lessons, and had learned how to dance well. As he moved around the floor with Princess Mia, he was quite glad he had studied dancing so well, or else he might have embarrassed himself. Instead, they danced, they talked, and they joked. She asked about his foot and he told her that she could feel welcome to step on his foot any time, an invitation he would later regret."

She laughed a little again, and Nicholas wondered if someone had told her the story of the second time he and Mia had met.

"Unfortunately, they were interrupted by another young prince, who wished to take his turn dancing with the amazing Princess Mia. The Handsome Prince stepped away, so the Princess Mia might do as was required of her without his interference. For the rest of the night, until he had to leave with his mean uncle, the Handsome Prince watched Princess Mia dancing with other men and talking with her friends, the whole time wishing he could go back out there and ask her to dance with him again."

She smiled and asked him, "Did the Handsome Prince get to dance with Princess Mia again?"

He nodded.

"Yes. Just a few weeks later, on a misty bank by the water's edge, with only their horses to watch, they danced all night, under the moon."

Jocey smiled sleepily, and so Nicholas tucked her in snugly, leaning over her bed to place a kiss on her forehead and happily found that her fever was nearly gone.

"Goodnight my little Princess."

She yawned.

"Goodnight, Daddy."

Nicholas rubbed behind Slinky’s ears, then headed out, turning off the light as he went. He figured he had just enough time to get in his shower before Mia would call. And he was right, as he heard his phone buzz just as he stepped out of the shower.

Moving over to the phone as he wrapped a towel around his waist, he saw the text from Mia, with her photo across his phone. He smiled as he read it.

“She asleep? U awake?”

He hit the button to let him call her, with her picking up right away.

“Yes and yes.”

He heard her soft chuckle.

“How’s her fever?”

“Almost gone. Slinky still feels like he’s got lay on her bed and watch her, so I don’t know if it’ll be gone tomorrow or the day after. He’s been more accurate than doctors or WebMD.”

Mia let out a sigh.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Lots of stuff.”

“Anything I can help with?”, he asked as he used his free non-phone-holding hand to yank some pants on.

“Do you want to have more children?”

He paused. If Parliament had managed to make a pain of themselves while she was away in Paris, with Jocey sick, this Green Energy thing she was fighting for, and the 14th anniversary of her ascension coming up, he was going to punch someone. Then throw them in a dungeon. He was sure Clarisse had mentioned there was still a dungeon around. Or was it an oubliette?

“You still there?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just thinking how I’m gonna strangle some Parliamentary leaders for bugging you.”

“Actually, they hadn’t. I mentioned it to Joe, about this whole Heir and Spare business, and he made some good points.”

Nicholas smiled as he reached for a clean T-shirt. He had gotten Jocey to take a bath this morning to help her feel better, however his shirt had suffered a good deal of snot and suds in the process.

“He usually does.”

“He suggested I think about it as a wife and mom, not a queen. To ask myself if you were a chef, if we were a normal couple in San Francisco, if Jocey went to my old school, if my grandma wasn’t a Queen, if I had never heard of Genovia- would we want a family of three, or four, or even five.”

Nicholas considered. He knew that most of their conversations about it had clearly been either a Queen and Prince considering Parliament’s pressuring or as Princess Jocelynn’s parents, never as Nick and Mia.

“Joe really is a wise man.”, Nicholas added.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Well, I mean… when we got married, I assumed there would be multiple children. You’re a queen, there would need to be at least two, preferably three. Then reality set in. All the protection needed just to take Jocey to a local toy store before her birthday, how often one or the other of us is in another country, all her lessons, how much work we have to do, and I won’t get into that business of how insane it was just for you to try to feed her the first few weeks.”

He heard Mia snort tiredly and could almost see her leaned against the headboard of some nice, French hotel bed, in her faded T-shirt bearing her old mascot’s image and some silky pants. She swore there were pieces of that San-Fran girl she just couldn’t shed, and he would never want her to.

“But do _you_ want another baby?”, she asked again.

“Do you? And please don’t say this is a deflection, cause I really do want to know.”

“I asked you first.”

He could almost see the tired, cheeky grin.

“Ever since I first held Jocey, I’ve wanted another half dozen, just like her.”

“Only if you’ll have numbers three through seven.”

“That mean you want another baby?”

“Yes.”

Nicholas smiled, already able to picture Mia running through the halls, chasing Josey while tugging some little red wagon behind her with their new baby sitting up inside. The halls would have all the more laughter and love in them, and he could hardly wait.

“When?”, he asked.

“How about nine or ten months after I get home?”

“Well, then you better get to bed and rest up, cause once you get home, I am more than happy to make sure to do my part.”

Mia laughed loudly into the receiver, causing Nicholas to laugh a little with her. He would never tire of making her laugh or hearing her.

“Someone sounds eager.”

“When have you ever known me not-to-be-eager to be close to you, Mia?”

“I dunno, when I went into labor, you did run.”

“To get Joe and Charlotte. And, in my defense, there was a rare Genovian blizzard going on and the doctor had given me nightmares for two weeks prior about all the things that could have gone wrong.”

“True. I forget sometimes that they tell you things they don’t tell me.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t carrying the heir to the throne, so my stress levels weren’t a concern.”

She chuckled.

“I’ll try to have them be more delicate with you this time around.”

“Nah, it’s been a few years. I think I’m a little better equipped to handle worrying about you and a baby.”

“So we’re doing this?”

“Why not? Jocey is going to be a fantastic big sister, she did ask for a baby brother for Christmas, and I’m sure Slinky won’t mind. He’ll probably beg for baby food.”

“I love you.”

“I’m a pretty loveable guy.”

“You’re a nerd too, just so you know.”

“Well, yes. But you like it, so I’m not going to change it.”

“Good.”

“So, tomorrow night. You, me, baby-making.”

“Nicholas!”

“What? I don’t want you to forget.”

“Trust me, I won’t.”

He smiled into his sock drawer as he checked to make sure the present he got Mia for her anniversary of Queenship. It was a frame that held several photos, each from her coronation and the small celebration held after. He knew she appreciated things like that far more than a big, flashy diamond rings.

One photo showed she and Clarisse standing side by side during a quiet moment before the small parade showing the new Queen Amelia to the people. Another showed she and Joe dancing, with her shoes gone along with the crown and Joe’s earpiece removed. One of Joe and Clarisse watching Mia dancing with Lily, and the matching one of her dancing with Lily. One of she and her mom laughing over some cake, with fat Louis I sitting on a cushion nearby. And a picture of Nicholas and Mia, as he helped her down from the carriage after the parade, with her smirking at a joke he made about her stepping on his foot again.

“Well, I better let you get some sleep.”

“Yup, you and Jocey keep me busy. Now go to bed.”

“Are you ordering your Queen to bed like a 7 year old?”

“As your chief advisor, I’m telling you to get your butt to bed. It is almost one in the morning our time, you have to be up early for a full day, then you’ve got to come home and tuck a Princess in.”

“True, then I’ve gotta take care of Parliament’s wishes.”

“Mia.”

“What?”

“Forget them. If _we_ do this, I want it to be for the right reasons. Because _we_ want Jocey to have a sibling, because _we_ want another baby, because _we_ want this.”

“I love you.”

“You mentioned that already.”

“It beared repeating.”

“Goodnight, Mia.”

“Goodnight, Nicholas.”

He hung up, letting out a breath. Already, he was wondering what they might have. Another little girl for he and Joe to spoil rotten? Or maybe a little boy for him to educate on how to be a good man and a good prince, and Mia to spoil? Either way, as long as the child and Mia were healthy, he was happy, and he could hardly wait to be with Mia, telling Jocey she was going to be a big sister.

Once he was done brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed, he finally settled in. He had been intending to do some paperwork, however he figured he could cram it tomorrow. Jocey would hopefully be well by then, Mia would be back in time to have some dessert and catch each other up on the past few days before bed, then his early morning meeting with the Prime Minister.

He had not been asleep long when he woke to the sound all parents knew. Two small, sock-footed feet padding quietly with four paws trotting along beside. Reaching blindly, Nicholas turned on the bedside lamp and put on his glasses. Jocey and Slinky walked in just as the room came into focus.

Jocey was carrying her little stuffed purple bunny-rabbit Brett, her one pant leg was halfway up to her knee, her hair was a mess, and she had her free hand on Slinky’s back. He was just big enough now for her to reach over and pet him without her having to crouch or him stretch. And as tired as she looked, he could see she was afraid.

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

She looked back down the hall, then returned her chocolate gaze to her daddy’s face.

“There’s a monster in my closet.”

“Sweetie, we’ve been over this. There are no monsters anywhere in your room. Not under the bed, not behind the furniture, not around the corner, and not in your closet.”

“Daddy, I saw it.”

“Are you sure? Did Slinky growl or bark at it?”

Nicholas knew there was no way anyone or anything could come near his little girl, without meeting Slinky’s warning bark. And if they were a threat, they would be met with sharp teeth and a ferocious growl.

“No, he was sleeping.”

“You know Grandpa Joe trained him to take care of you. He wouldn’t sleep through it if there was a monster in your room. And Grandpa Joe checked, the last time he and Gramma were here. He said there was no way a monster could get into your room.”

“Are you gonna make me go back?”

“No. You’re sick and daddy is tired.”

He held up the blanket for her to climb in beside him, then Slinky jumped up into the spot near where he could have his butt up against Jocey’s back as she faced Nicholas. Once she was comfortable, nestled into Mia’s pillow and bookended by daddy and puppy, he leaned to kiss her forehead and found her fever was finally passed.

“Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Daddy?”

He let out a breath, sure he was going to need to fight a fake monster or assure her that Mia was coming back tomorrow night, or technically in just a few hours.

“Yes?”

“Will you teach me to dance like Joe taught Mommy?”

He smiled.

“Of course, my Princess.”

She smiled, reaching to hug his arm along with her bunny, her forehead pressed to his bicep as she lay on Mia’s pillow. Slinky adjusted, making sure he was still connected to his little girl. Nicholas made a mental note that, should he and Mia get lucky again with another beautiful little angel, that he needed to get Joe to come with him to pick out another puppy so that way there would be a furry companion for that child too. His own childhood had been spared from total isolation by several amazing dogs, and he wanted his children to enjoy that same connection.

“Goodnight, Jocey.”, he murmured as he leaned to kiss her forehead again, then laying back into his pillow. He felt Slinky move, then heard the puppy licking Jocey and Jocey chuckling before she bid her puppy goodnight, then echoed the same to Nicholas.

Nicholas smiled. Life didn’t get much better than this. He was married to the love of his life, they had a beautiful little girl with a heart of gold, they had a happy puppy, a fantastic extended family, and they lived in a beautiful country that they got to serve every day. And, maybe in the very near future, they would be adding to their family. No, life did not get much better than this. Even with the 2AM fevers, diaper changes, international meetings, around the clock security, and having to juggle royal duties with parenthood and marriage. He would not trade one minute of this for anything in the world. And with such pleasant thoughts, he was finally able to sleep.


End file.
